


Awesome Mix Vol. 3

by kikabennet



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Babies, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Fix-It, Grandpa yondu, IN SPACE!, Kid Fic, Mother-Son Relationship, Parent Yondu Udonta, Rocket and Groot, Toddlers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-25
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-04 21:13:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10999089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikabennet/pseuds/kikabennet
Summary: Fix it fic to GotG 2. Fast forward a couple of years. There's a new crew member on board, baby Yondu "Yani" Quill named after his grandfather and loved by his entire dysfunctional space family. This is a peek into his first year with special moments between everyone with the newest Guardian of the Galaxy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first Guardians of the Galaxy fic. Ugh! I'm so nervous. Okay, so like I just stated, my first fic of this kind and for anyone who is familiar with my writing, I'm a sucker for kid and family fics so this was bound to happen. Yondu is alive and well so it strays from canon slightly, and...yeah, enjoy. I always reply to comments as quickly as I can so go ahead and tell me anything you like or ask questions. I will admit my GotG knowledge is limited to the two movies so if I messed something up, that's my alibi.   
> Oh! One more thing. I spelled Yani the way I did on purpose. I know it's short for Yondu, but every time I spelled it "Yoni" I read it as Tony with a "Y" in my head so it's not a constant mispelling. There was a method to my madness.

Yondu Orion Quill sneaked in eight minutes before Leap year (or he would have if they were on Earth as Leap year was a terran idea), but Peter was from Earth and he knew as he was handed his infant son by the Klorian nurse that this kid was special. After all, he'd dodged losing several birthdays at a time. He'd probably get away with a lot of shit in his life. 

"He's beautiful," Gamora said, once their son was placed back in her arms. 

"He's not green," Peter said stupidly. He had assumed he would have a little green offspring. Hell, he'd been hoping for it. A baby that looked like Gamora? Best baby ever. 

"Your terran genes are probably just more dominant," she explained, fingering some of the baby's dark curls. "He looks like you."

The baby opened his eyes, big dark eyes that made Peter's legs turned to Jell-O. There it was. There was the Gamora in their baby. His big solemn eyes stared up at Peter briefly before closing. 

"I'm really scared," Gamora admitted, and Peter got to his knees to kneel beside the bed. He took her hand.

"Me too," he said instead of asking why. Blasting monsters and saving the galaxy was one thing, but keeping something this tiny and precious out of harm's way, that was another. 

"What are we going to name him?" She asked. "We agreed I'd pick the name if it was a girl..."

She smiled a little, letting Peter know this was all on him since the baby was in fact, not a girl. Peter rested his chin on their joined hands, thinking about it. He didn't want to name him Peter Jr. In Kindergarten all of the kids called him Peter Rabbit and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater and Peter Pan. Away from Earth, this probably wasn't going to be a problem, but the idea of a junior just seemed so conceited. It was almost like telling your child they weren't worthy of their own name. He briefly considered David for obvious reasons, but his thoughts immediately jumped to another idea. 

"What about Yondu?" He asked quietly. 

Two years ago, his entire relationship with the ravager had changed. After a close encounter with Ego the planet, his real father, Peter and Yondu had both learned the difference between a father and a sperm donor. Now Peter was happy. Peter had his father, and he suddenly realized, not only was his son going to have a father, but Yondu as a sort of father figure as well. It was all too perfect.

"He will never shut up about it," Gamora joked dryly. 

"Oh, I know," Peter said, touching some of the baby's fluffy hair. "But I owe him, you know?"

He stood up halfway to kiss the baby and then his wife. 

"He saved my life," he murmured. "Twice."

\------

"Support his head," Drax ordered for the eighth time as Peter held the baby in one arm and checked on the bottle with his free hand. 

"Rocket!" Peter barked. "Your bottle warmer thing's not working!"

"For the hundredth time," Rocket said, entering the kitchenette. "You have to push THIS button to turn it on. You're just standin' there like a dumbass while the bottle's not warmin' up!"

"Hold his head," Drax ordered again. "Give him to me. Give me the baby."

Gamora was still in the hospital. She had suffered a major allergy to an after birth recovery medication and could come back in a week. She worried that the ship full of males would have difficulty taking care of baby Yondu, and she wasn't wrong. Peter hadn't shaved in days and his face was scruffy and his hair stuck out in various directions. The baby cried all day and all night and he was tired of everyone telling him how to do things correctly. Drax considered himself a regular Dr. Spock, constantly reminding Peter that he would kill his own son by mistake before Gamora came home. Rocket griped about the baby's constant crying and the crying made Groot nervous. 

"Here we go," Peter said once the light up rings on the bottle warmer began glowing. "Here we go, Champ."

He picked up the bottle and dropped it immediately. It was scalding.

"Rocket, you asshole!" He yelped, sucking on his fingers. "If anyone's gonna kill Yondu, it's you!"

"I told you to leave it in for eight seconds," Rocket told him. "You're warmin' breast milk for God's sake, not making coffee."

Drax, rocking the baby against his large, broad chest, shook his head at them. Groot stood nearby awkwardly, unsure of what to do or how to help. Peter took the baby back and bounced him a little too roughly.

"That's too rough!" Drax told him.

"Yeah," Rocket said, warming another bottle. "You wanna scramble his brain?"

Peter collapsed into a nearby chair and the baby let out another angry wail. 

"I know, I know," Peter murmured into his curls. "I'm trying, Little Guy."

"Try doing it right," Drax said. "Or don't try at all. You're a terrible father."

"Hey," Rocket said with a warning tone in his voice. "He's a new father and he ain't got Gamora here."

"So you're saying I can't do this without Gamora?" Peter asked.

"We can't do shit without Gamora," Rocket said. "Hell, if it weren't for her we'd all be dead a long time ago."

Peter wasn't going to argue with that. Rocket hopped onto Peter's thigh and handed him the bottle. The baby took to it hungrily, breathing heavily as he sucked it down. Everyone let out a small sigh at the silence. 

"I haven't showered in like four days," Peter said.

"Ew." Drax frowned. 

"He's always crying," Peter said. "He's always hungry. He always needs a diaper change."

He removed one of his hands from the the baby to rub at his sore, tired eyes.

"There's four of us and we're having a hard time," he said. "How did my mom do this all by herself?"

A loud noise sounded signaling that somebody had come onto the ship. 

"Where's my gran-son?" A raspy familiar voice rang out. "Huh? Where's he at?"

"Hey, Yondu," Peter called. "We're in here."

Yondu entered the main room and let out a raspy cackle. 

"You look like shit!" He laughed.

"Thanks, Pop," Peter muttered sarcastically. "Nice to see you too."

"Got here as quick as I could," Yondu said and Peter stood up to pass him the baby. "What's the little fart's name?"

Rocket, Drax, and Groot all looked at Peter expectantly. Peter rubbed at his tired eyes again and said, "Yondu."

Yondu stared at him, brows furrowed. 

"You serious?" He asked.

"Unless you consider 'the little screamer from Hell' a proper name," Rocket said. "I got work to do. Quill, have fun or something."

With that, he walked away to his own quarters where there were no screaming infant newborns to make him want to abandon ship and float away in space. Peter envied him. Groot too retreated, probably to enjoy the quiet. Drax stared at the baby for a moment like a watchful mother eagle, and then walked away as well.

"So what?" Yondu asked, taking the bottle away as the baby started to suck on nothing but air. "He's bawlin' all the time? Where's his mama? Where's Gamora at?"

"She had an allergic reaction to some meds and has to stay another week," Peter said, looking at his son, waiting for the screaming to stop.

As expected, the baby started a series of fussy coughs before screeching. Yondu placed him on his shoulder and patted his back until he burped. 

"There's a good boy," he muttered. To Peter he said, "You really named this child 'Yondu'?"

"Yeah," Peter said, running a hand through his unkempt hair. He suddenly felt embarrassed at the name choice for reasons he didn't understand. 

Yondu only nodded, and to Peter's surprise, he seemed kind of embarrassed too, only the corners of his mouth appeared to be in hard lines like he was trying not to smile about it. 

"You got yourself a good lookin' boy," he told Peter. 

The baby seemed content on Yondu's shoulder, his little fists clenching and unclenching until his fingers finally spread out. He swiped at his face and then began howling again.

"Oh, no," Peter said with a sigh. "Not again."

"Wuss wrong?" Yondu asked, pulling the baby back.

"He keeps scratching himself," Peter said, taking the baby. "I don't know how to get him to stop."

"You need some of them itty bitty baby mittens," Yondu said. "They make 'em. I seen 'em before."

"I have not had the chance to go out and get baby mittens," Peter sighed. 

Yondu put the baby back on his shoulder and in an instant, the baby quieted again, his tiny nails digging into the thick fabric of Yondu's coat. Peter knew what that coat felt like to lay on. He remembered in his earliest days of being with Yondu being picked up and held by him while no one else was looking. The coat smelled of a strange mixture of different worlds along with a spicy, burnt smell from all of the adventures it had been on. It was comforting, he remembered.

"You look a mess," Yondu told him. "I got this for a little while. Go clean up. Shave your face, Boy."

Peter nodded and then hesitated. Yondu lightly scuffed the back of his head.

"I raised one terran," he told him. "I know what I'm doin'. He'll be here when you get back. Go on."

\-------------

"I missed you," Gamora said when Peter finally, FINALLY brought her home. She took the baby from Drax and kissed him.

"Sorry the place is a mess," Peter said sheepishly. 

Gamora, bouncing her infant son slightly, looked around. It was nowhere near as bad as a night the boys would drink and play card games. The boys themselves though looked pretty rough, and there were leaves on the floor meaning Groot had been shedding and he shed when he stressed. 

"Did you give them a hard time?" She asked baby Yondu. "Hm? You gave your family a hard time?"

"You're lucky I was here to assist," Drax told her. "Peter almost murdered your son thirty-seven times."

Peter frowned.

"I did not almost murder him, and where did you even get that specific number?"

"I logged it," Drax said simply, and then frowned skeptically. "Have you not been logging in a parenting journal?"

Gamora chuckled and tugged at Peter's ear playfully. 

"It's fine," she said. "You did good, Peter."

Groot and Rocket frowned at her and she said, "You all did good."

\--------------

Now that Gamora was back, things seemed to settle down and return to normal. Even little baby Yondu seemed to understand that she was no-nonsense and in charge and would quiet down when she picked him up or laid him in his sleeping basket. He grew quickly, becoming less of a squishy looking newborn and more into an infant with his own distinct features. Peter loved his big dark eyes and Gamora loved his curls. 

By the time he was three months old, Yondu Orion Quill who was now affectionately called 'Yani' by his family, could roll from his back onto his stomach. He would often flip from one side of his body to the other, cooing up at the ceiling or anyone that would walk by. He especially loved for Rocket to pass so he could take a swipe at his tail. Groot would sit on the floor across from him and stretch out his vines just enough so Yani's little fingers could brush against them. Drax picked up the little one and showed him what he looked like in the mirror, making the baby's eyes stare with wonder and pound his little palm against his own reflection. Gamora and Peter took turns taking him on less dangerous missions in a baby backpack that made Rocket tease them until he had to do it too. 

Yani's namesake and grandfather, Yondu Senior, came and visited often. The baby seemed overly delighted to hear his voice and would flap his limbs excitedly until the ravager scooped him up. Yani always smiled toothlessly at him, laughing. The first time anyone heard him laugh was when Yondu picked him up. 

It happened one evening when things had already quieted down in the ship for the night. They all knew Yondu was on his way. They all sat together in the main room, working on things or checking messages, little Yani on his special mat on the floor cooing at the environment around him, "swimming" on the floor. 

"Where's my boy?" They all heard Yondu announce himself. 

Little Yani, who had just put his head down on the mat to catch his breath, raised up and let out a squeaky response. Heavy boots sounded and Yani seemed to know exactly what that noise was. 

"Woo!" The baby cooed in a high-pitched way as Yondu came into view.

Yondu grinned and 'whistled' back at him, staring down at the baby.

"Ooh!" The baby sounded again, smiling.

"C'mere, boy!" Yondu growled, bending down to pick him up. "Come see yer gran-deddeh." 

The others hardly seemed phased. It was nothing new. Yondu and Yani fawning over each other. Peter offered Yondu a drink and when he got up to get it, he stopped when a new sound filled the room. 

Yani laughed.

"Did he just-" Peter turned around, smiling a little.

"He did!" Gamora said, standing up, also laughing. "Oh my gosh, he did. He laughed."

"I am Groot," Groot said, moving to join her.

Yondu whistled at Yani and the baby laughed again. 

"He's laughing," Peter said. "Yondu, Yondu. Do it again. Whistle at him."

Yondu whistled and the baby laughed so hard he started coughing.

"Alright, that's enough now," Yondu said, using the heel of his hand to wipe away some drool from the baby's mouth. 

\--------------

Despite being an easy going baby who now laughed and giggled at everything, Yani was often fussy at night. Peter was often the one to get up with him and feed him a bottle, but sometimes Yani wasn't even wet or hungry. Peter guessed he was just bored and awake and screamed to get some attention. 

" 'Rock me gently,' " Peter sang quietly, walking him around the main room around three in the morning. " 'Rock me slowly. Take it easy, don't you know. That I have never been loved like this before' ". 

Yani hummed to himself against his father's chest as Peter sang softly and bounced him slightly. He let out a squeaky yawn and Peter grinned into his curls, kissing his head. At five months old, he wasn't the stressful newborn he once was. Now Peter could handle the occasional howling. He actually sort of enjoyed it once in a while, having this special alone time with his son.

"Daddy loves you," he murmured against those soft curls. "Daddy loves his Yani."

"Bah," Yani replied.

"Bah yourself," Peter told him.

\-----------------

Gamora had been terrified when she found out she was pregnant. For starters, she didn't even know she could have children. Her body had considered so much damage in her time with Thanos that she'd always assumed it would never happen, so when it did, she didn't know what to think. 

Throughout her pregnancy, she thought about what pregnancy meant beyond a swollen belly and childbirth. It was the thought of raising a child that terrified her. What if she hit them too hard? How would she know? Why would she even hit them? Would she be aware of it? She had been beaten as a child mercilessly and it had been considered 'conditioning'. What if she was like that and didn't even know it?

Everything changed when she held him in her arms. All of her fears seemed to go away then and she knew that she would love him and care for him because he was precious and her world suddenly revolved around him. Her thoughts were not about protecting him from her, but protecting him from everything else. A caring side emerged from her that had not showed itself since she admitted her feelings for Peter. 

At six months old, Yani was always on the move, either crawling or rolling across the floor to reach his destination. Gamora informed everyone that shoes and boots were no longer allowed inside because not only could they accidentally step on Yani's fingers, but she wanted the floor to be extra clean since his hands touched it. She would always smile when she felt his little hands take the back of her ankles, and when she picked him up, she loved the way he smiled at her. He often smiled at everyone, but his smile for her was unique. It wasn't an 'I'm excited to see you smile' but an almost knowing 'I know who you are and I love you the most' smile. 

"Hey, you," she said, picking him up as he sat at her feet and flapped his arms. "What are you doing?"

"Goin' on that mission," Peter said, briskly moving past them and kissing each of them. "Unless you wanna take it and I'll sit her and jam with Yani."

Yani, recognizing his own name, bounced in his mother's arms.

"No, you go ahead," she said. "I like spending quiet time with my number one."

Peter fake pouted at that, but she could tell he was secretly happy to go out and get rough and tumble with some ruffians. He noisily shuffled out of the ship with Rocket, Groot, and Drax, leaving his wife and child alone.

"One day that'll be you out there," she told him, placing him on her hip as she walked around doing things they had all neglected to do. 

She set Yani back on the floor and he whimpered.

"You're fine," she told him, giving him a look, and he became content playing with his own toes.

After she ran out of things to do, Gamora picked him up again and took him to the bunk she shared with Peter. She pressed a button on a little device near the bed and several hologram-style photos appeared around the room of Yani. 

"Dah!" Yani pointed at one.

"That's Yani and Rocket," she told him.

"Dah!" Yani pointed again.

"That's Yani and Grandpa," she said. 

Yani grinned at one in particular.

"Doo?"

"That's Yani and Mama," she said quietly into his hair. 

"Mama," Yani said, just as quietly, and Gamora's brows furrowed.

"Did you just..." she turned him around to look at him. "Did you just say 'Mama'?"

"Mama," Yani said, touching her face. 

Gamora felt tears come to her eyes and she felt silly about it. She was a master assassin for goodness's sake. 

"That's right." She took his little hand in hers and patter her chest. "Mama-" she then placed their hands to his chest. "Yani."

\------------------

“Ro Ro,” Eight month old Yani said, padding across the ship’s floor as his palms slammed down and he dragged his knees, one in front of the other. 

Drax, who was busy sharpening knives, merely scooted out of the way as the baby crawled past him. Groot smiled warmly as the little one got distracted briefly by the large plant feet and began touching them. When Rocket let out a loud and angry, “Son of a bitch!” the baby seemed to remember his prior mission and crawled away from Groot at top speed to follow the sound.

“Hey, Champ!” Peter, who happened by in sock-clad feet (Gamora insisted because little fingers now touched the floor, shoes were no longer allowed inside) scooped his son up, kissing him all over.

Yani pulled away from this affection, pointing in the direction of Rocket’s quarters.

“Ro Ro,” he said.

Peter turned to the source where Rocket could be heard clinking and clanking. He grinned, knowing now that Yani had been on a mission to find Rocket. 

“Where’s Ro Ro?” He asked, bouncing him slightly. He set him down and patted his bottom. “Go get ‘im. Go get Ro Ro.”

Yani padded away on little hands and knees at top speed towards Rocket’s quarters. Peter smiled, shaking his head, and went about his business, whistling as he did so.

“Ro Ro.” Yani made his way around the corner, but stopped at the edge of Rocket’s quarters where the metal floor dipped slightly. He was scared of the three inch dip. 

“Oh, hey, Kid,” Rocket said absent-mindedly, holding something up to the light before placing it back on a work bench. 

Yani got to his knees and bounced slightly, holding up his arms. He grunted, trying to get the raccoon’s attention. He wanted Rocket to come and get him. 

“What?” Rocket turned around and saw the baby bouncing, his big eyes solemn and pleading. 

“You still scared to come in here?” Rocket asked, moving towards him. “What am I gonna do with you when you start walkin’, huh?”

Rocket was not much bigger than the baby, but he was definitely stronger and had no trouble picking him up and carrying him across the room to sit on the work bench next to his latest repair project. Yani looked around at all of the things on the bench next to him and picked something up. He instantly put it in his mouth.

“Hey!” Rocket fished it out and made a sound similar to a wrong answer buzzer noise on a game show. “That’s no, Yani. No no.”

“No no,” Yani whispered to himself and then grinned, showing a few scattered teeth. “Ro Ro!”

“Yeah,” Rocket said, picking up a wrench. “Ro Ro said no no. Here, play with this.”

He fished something out from under the table. It was a little glowing ball that vibrated slightly. It had kept Groot occupied when he turned back into a baby. It fell out of Yani’s hand and rolled across the bench top and down onto the floor. Yani looked at Rocket.

“Your pop send you in here?” Rocket asked. As much as they all loved little Yani, they liked to pawn him off on one another to get peace and quiet once in a while. Including Rocket.

Yani picked up a flat silver disk and shook it. 

“One day you’ll be in here actually working,” Rocket told him. “put your little ass to work. You’ll like it, though. You’re a smart kid.”

Yani put the disk down and reached out with both hands to grab at the fur on Rocket’s face.

“Gentle,” Rocket reminded him. 

Yani loosened his grip and stroked Rocket’s face, running his hand down his eyes and across his nose. 

“Ro Ro,” he said. 

\-----------------

 Nobody had ever worried about Groot around the baby. Some who didn't know Groot might never let their baby around him, but Peter and Gamora and the others knew there was not a more gentle and caring soul than Groot. 

Yani was now nearing his eleventh month and walking on unsteady legs, holding onto things around the ship and wherever they docked. He often fell when he tried to walk on his own and sometimes cried and sometimes brushed it off and kept going. 

One afternoon, the ship took an unexpected sharp turn and Yani had just let go of a chair to attempt to walk across the room. When the ship turned, the near toddler went flying and hit the opposite wall with a loud thud. Everyone came running even before Yani started screaming. Groot watched with a pained expression as Gamora picked him up and Yani's mouth was open and tears were streaming but there was no sound. At least for several seconds. At last, a piercing wail sounded all over the ship followed by hiccuping sobs. Gamora made sure he was alright and passed him over to Drax before stalking off to tear Peter a new one for driving so wrecklessly. 

"I am Groot," Groot said sympathetically as Drax doctored the knot on the baby's head. 

"He is alright," Drax assured him. "His parents are just idiots who do not care what happens to their young."

Yani seemed to calm down once he'd found his thumb and stuck it in his mouth and Drax set him down to go about his business. Groot, who enjoyed observing the little one, stared down at him. Yani stared back up at him, waving a few of his fingers. The ship took another sharp turn and they could hear Peter arguing something about why it wasn't his fault and weather conditions on this planet and Rocket had joined in and now all of them were up front fighting. 

Just as the ship turned a second time, Groot's reflexes kicked in and his vines grabbed onto Yani gently, who began to whimper and cry again at the sudden movement. 

"I am Groot," Groot said, using his vines to scoop him up and bring him closer. He smiled warmly at Yani, who calmed down once more, leaning against Groot, thumb back in his mouth.

Groot hummed softly, and brushed some of his branch fingers across the baby's head. While everyone up front yelled and cursed at one another, Groot and Yani were happy in each other's company.

\----------

"Happy birthday, Dear Yani," everyone sang as Peter set a cake down before the beaming one year old. "Happy birthday to you."

"Tear it up," Rocket coaxed. He looked at Peter and asked, "That's what he's supposed to do, right? Make a mess of this cake?"

"Yeah," Peter said. "It's a terran custom, I guess. On your first birthday, you get stripped down to a diaper and eat cake with your hands."

"Your customs are so strange," Drax told him. "And unnecessary. First, you are feeding him a confection that is not good for his teeth or digestive system, and then you allow him to waste it and make a mess."

"It's fine, Drax," Gamora said, laughing as Yani put two hands in the little cake that had been prepared just for him. 

"Ooh!" Peter hollered. "He just went for it, Man! Did you see that? Two fists-pfft-right into it. That's my boy!"

"That's our boy!" Yondu echoed. "Get it, Boy. Get that cake."

Yani seemed to enjoy the mess he was making and smeared and cake and frosting into his hair. The noises that came from everyone around him egged him on and he put it on his face and his chest too. 

"No!" Gamora laughed, putting her head down and shaking it so no one could see how hard she was laughing.

Peter pulled her into a one-armed embrace and hooted, "YES!"

"This is better than anything I've seen in my entire life," Rocket said. "Look at this kid!"

"I am Groot," Groot agreed.

Rocket hopped up beside Yani and scooped up some frosting.

"Here, lemme help you, Kid," he said, smearing it on Yani's forehead. 

Everyone busted out laughing when Yani took his own fistful of cake and frosting and smeared across Rocket's face. Peter laughed so hard he started clapping and Drax slapped him on the back, also roaring with laughing. 

"You look so ridiculous," he told Rocket. 

Yani looked around, smiling at his family. He wasn't exactly sure why they gave him a cake to tear up and make a mess with when they were always preventing him from stepping in muddy puddles or playing in fun looking kinds of goo, yet here they were, cheering him on. He loved his parents and his Groot and Drax and Rocket and Grandpa Yondu. 

"Daddy!" He exclaimed. 

"He just said-" Peter grinned. "He said Daddy!"

He leaned down and took his son's face in his hands, kissing him. Yani took this opportunity to put frosting in his hair. 

"Mama?" He looked at his mother expectantly. 

"No," she said.

"Yes," everyone told her. 

Gamora rolled her eyes and leaned forward on her elbows, allowing her son to put frosting on her face. Everyone cheered. Within ten minutes, everyone had cake or frosting somewhere on them, a marking from Yondu Orion Quill. His way of marking them as his own because they were his and they were special.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so...just a warning, there is mention of spanking in this chapter. I know some people are really sensitive about that. I myself grew up in the US in a southern state so spanking is not a big deal to me, but I know it's different for each and every person. Yani does not get spanked in this chapter but it is referenced so there's the heads up.  
> I am so happy you guys have been throwing ideas out for me. I plan to use a lot of them, and I was super nervous starting this series, but now I feel...slightly more confident. Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I really appreciate it.

" 'You spin me right round, baby, right round like a record baby, right round round round'," Peter sang as he spun two year old Yani around in circles, drying him off with a towel after his bath.

Yani laughed as Peter took the towel from his body and assaulted the little boy's dark curls with it. Before Yani, the ship had only had a walk-in shower, but Rocket had built and installed a bathtub just for the newcomer with holes in the sides so the water filled in horizontally and water-proof multicolored lights so it would look cool. And bubble jets because what kid didn't like bubbles?

"All clean," Peter said, grinning, reaching for Yani's pajamas that were resting beside the tub.

Yani let out a high-pitched giggle and threw the towel at his father before running out of the washroom at top speed. Peter whistled at him, but couldn't help but give a small chuckle as he shook his head.

Yani ran around the ship naked, laughing at anyone who looked at him, stomping his feet.

"Yani!" Rocket exclaimed with faux shock. "You're naked! Go get dressed, kid!"

Yani laughed and patted his own butt. Gamora walked by and scooped him up, inhaling his clean scent.

"You're being silly," she said with a warning tone, though there was no real malice in her voice. "It's almost bed time. Let Daddy dress you."

She set him down and he raced over to Groot, jumping up and down, flapping his arms. It was a game he'd invented with Groot as a baby, but tonight, Groot did not flap his vines back. He knew the little one was supposed to be settling down for the night. He took his vine instead and prodded Yani toward the direction of the bathroom, where Peter was waiting with his PJs.

Yondu, who was staying with them for a few days, entered the main room and whistled loudly at Yani, who squealed and laughed even harder.

"Boy, go get'cher clothes on," he told him. "Heel-toe. Move."

Peter moved forward and grabbed him, holding him under one arm. He went into the washroom and closed the door. He set Yani down, and the two year old panted, trying to catch his breath.

"What got into you tonight?" Peter asked warmly, fixing some of his son's hair. "You're acting crazy."

"Spin round round," Yani sang, spinning in a circle. "Spin round round."

"I'm not spinnin' you anymore, Goofball," Peter told him, forcing him to stand still. He nodded at the toilet.

"Go potty," he told him.

"No potty," Yani said.

"Yes potty," Peter replied.

Yani obediently went and sat on the toilet, swinging his feet.

"You're a big boy now," Peter said. "No more diapers."

Yani started peeing and it started spraying everywhere.

"Yani!" Peter groaned, walking on his knees over to the toilet. "Remember what Daddy told you? Hold your...thing...down. Hold it down so it doesn't spray everywhere."

Yani did as he was told.

"I peed in the potty," he said.

"Awesome," Peter told him. "Let's wash your hands and get your jammies on. Jam in your jammies, right?"

He helped the toddler to wash his hands and get into his underwear and pajamas. After that, he combed the boy's hair and helped him to brush his teeth. When they left the bathroom, Gamora already had his bed made and ready.

"Tell everybody goodnight," she told him.

"Nigh-night, Drax," Yani said, moving toward Drax who was reading up on a nearby planet. He held out his arms.

"Sleep well, little one," Drax told him, picking him up in his big, strong arms.

"Nigh-night, Groot," Yani said, toddling over to Groot, who picked him up and nuzzled his face softly against Yani. Groot was aware he was not soft and fleshy like the rest, but he was gentle.

Yani then moved to Rocket, who was logging something in a technical journal.

"Night, Kid," Rocket told him before being borderline suffocated in a tight toddler hug.

"Nigh-night, Ro Ro," Yani said, kissing him near the eye. He could talk now, and well, but the nickname 'Ro Ro' from his baby days had stuck.

"See you in the mornin', Pipsqueak," Rocket replied, ruffling his hair. "Don't pee the bed."

Now Yani half jogged over to be scooped up into his grandfather's arms. He rested his head on Yondu's shoulder, thumb in his mouth. He was now finally starting to relax and get sleepy.

"I'll see ya in the mornin'," Yondu told him, rubbing his back before passing him over to Gamora.

Peter followed her into the little room which had once been a storage area before Rocket removed all of the shelves and expanded the walls slightly. Now it was a little room with a bed, dresser, toy box, and closet. The bed had a half-shell metal canopy with light up rings that changed colors through the night. The walls had tiny blinking lights to resemble stars. There were Ninja Turtle posters and pictures of his family on the wall.

"Now," Gamora said, tucking him into bed before kissing him. "Sleep."

"Yeah, you're out of control," Peter joked dryly, also kissing him.

Yani only smiled through this thumb, turning over onto his stomach, his butt in the air. Peter patted his bottom through the blanket and he and Gamora left the room.

\------------------------------

Yani screamed and screamed, sitting on the floor, stomping the heels of his little toddler boots against the steel floor of the ship. Gamora and Peter watched him, hardly phased. Yani threw wonderful fits. He would throw himself onto the floor, kick, scream, grab anything nearby he could tear up, but it hardly phased his parents anymore. They now knew that the stronger they reacted, the longer his fits lasted.

"Are you done?" Peter asked him, trying to sound bored.

"NO!" Yani screamed hoarsely. "NO! GO AWAY, DADDY!"

"Go where?" Peter asked, trying to stifle a laugh. "I live here. This is my ship."

"MY SHIP!" Yani cried, throwing himself backwards, kicking his heels so hard one of his boots came off. "NOT DADDY'S SHIP!"

"Yani," Gamora said sternly. "You need to stop."

Yani did stop for a few seconds, briefly considering this. When his father told him to stop, he usually didn't. When his mother told him to stop, it usually meant if he didn't stop he was really going to catch it. He pondered if his current situation was worth what his mother had in store for him. Peter and Gamora got their answer when he sat up, picked up his boot, and hurled it at them.

"That's it." Gamora stalked over to him, yanked him up by the arm and paraded him to his room. The door shut and Peter heard him wail miserably.

When Gamora walked out, she ran a hand through his hair.

"You pop him?" Peter wanted to know.

"No," Gamora said with a sigh. "I put him on his bed and told him I would."

Yani did get spanked, but hardly ever. Once it had been because he bit Groot-hard. He had been in mid-tantrum and poor Groot had been standing nearby, creating little flower buds to try and console him. Angrily, Yani had crawled over to him and bit his foot, making the poor gentle Groot howl in pain. Gamora had given him one hard smack on the seat of his pants. Peter had spanked him when (during another fit) Yani had smacked Drax in the face who had picked him up in attempt to soothe him. Yondu, who had spanked Peter many, many times in his terran youth, spanked him for running across busy traffic.

"It's just the terrible twos," Peter told her, kissing the side of her head.

"The what?" Gamora frowned.

"The terrible twos," Peter repeated. "Yani's transitioning from a baby to a kid...you know?"

"Did you get that from the parenting book?" She asked suspiciously.

"Maybe," Peter said.

They waited until they heard Yani's yelling dissolve into nothing. Peter opened his door. Yani had dumped out all of his toys and ripped a few posters from the wall. His blankets, sheet, and fitted sheet were on the floor.

"Ground Zero in here," Peter said.

Yani, sitting on his bed, stared up at his father.

"Are you finished?" Peter asked, sitting next to him.

The whole thing had started when they had landed on their current planet destination, Klor, and Yani was angry that he couldn't play in the lake. They had brought a picnic lunch to eat beside the lake, but the body of water was known for having dangerous spots that pulled people under and was not suitable for swimming. While the adults were talking and unpacking food, Yani had toddled off at top speed towards the edge of the water, nearly falling in before Groot's vines got him. Yani had then kept trying to run to the water over and over until they had no choice but to pack up and return to the ship, where Yani started one of his galaxy famous fits.

"Do you know why we had to come back?" Peter asked him.

Yani shook his head.

"I think you do," Peter said. "What did we say about the lake?"

"No swimming," Yani replied sullenly.

"And what did you keep doing?" Peter quizzed.

"Try to swim," Yani said.

"That water isn't for swimming," Peter said. "There are spots in it that grab your legs and pull you under, and you can't breathe under the water. It's dangerous. We had to come back because you weren't listening to what we told you, and we want you to be safe."

Yani nodded.

"That wasn't nice of you to tear up your room and throw your shoe at Mama," Peter told him.

"I throwed my shoe at you," Yani said, looking at him.

"Well, I appreciate your honesty," Peter said. "But it's not nice to throw shoes at me either."

Yani looked around at his room.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," he said, his bottom lip trembling.

"I think you need a nap," Peter said quietly, and Yani began to sob.

Peter picked him up and set him on the floor to fix his sheets and blankets back the way they were. After he did that, he laid Yani on the bed, who started to weakly kick and thrash again.

"Nope," Peter pushed his head back down onto the mattress. "You're taking a nap."

Yani cried and cried, lying on his stomach as Peter patted and rubbed his back. His sobs finally became slow, deep breathing, and soon he was fast asleep, the only sound being the occasional hiccup.

Peter left the room and Gamora walked out of the kitchenette.

"He's taking a nap," Peter said.

"He needed one," Gamora said with a sigh. "I hope this...what did you call it? Terrible twos?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded.

"I hope it ends soon," she said.

\-------------------------------

"I am Groot," Groot said and Yani laughed.

The large plant being held little Yani as they traveled down the wooded trail. It was Groot, Rocket, and Yani. Klor had beautiful walking trails. The tree bark was black and the leaves were bright pink, orange, yellow, purple, and blue. Little pollen fluffs floated through the air, tickling their noses.

"Groot, put him down," Rocket said. "Let the kid walk. He's got legs."

Groot set Yani down, who ran around the pair in a circle before falling into step with them. He slid his little hand into Rocket's. His other hand went into his mouth as he began to suck his thumb.

"I am Groot," Groot said.

"it is nice to actually be somewhere we can walk around," Rocket agreed. "Don't you think so, Squirt?"

Yani nodded. Rocket removed the boy's thumb from his mouth.

"You gotta stop that," he told him.

"Okay," Yani agreed. "Look! Ro Ro! Groot! Look!"

He pointed up at the sky to a flock of shimmering iridescent birds leaving a sparkling trail behind them. He let go of Rocket's hand and flapped his arms, jumping. 

"Uh huh," Rocket said.

As they kept walking, Yani stopped to collect twigs and pebbles. It slowed them down, but Rocket and Groot didn't mind. They had politely agreed to keep Yani for the day so Peter and Gamora could have some alone time. Klor was a beautiful planet and the country of Sn'dek was one of the most popular get away spots in galaxy. It had sparkling oceans, tall mountains, sky volcanoes, and beautiful forests. The males on the ship knew that Peter had picked the resting spot on purpose since it was close to his and Gamora's anniversary.

A distant boom sounded, which was one of the sky volcanoes, and Yani whimpered, skittering back over to Rocket to take his hand. It was nothing to worry about, Rocket and Groot knew. The volcanoes were known for small eruptions now and then, but the noise was frightening to a toddler who didn't know that.

"It's okay," Rocket told him. "Relax, Kid. It's just one of them sky volcanoes."

When they reached the end of the trail, they were at the seashore. Sn'dek was known for it's famous shorelines. The black rocks that covered the beach had a blue, glowing sediment covering them making the entire area glow and sparkle. Yani squealed and raced ahead, jumping up and down in the rocks.

"C'mere, Yani!" Rocket called. "Let's take your shoes off and roll up your pants."

Yani obediently went back over and sat down so Rocket could remove his boots and socks and roll up his pant legs.

"Look at me," Rocket said, snapping his fingers to get the toddler's attention. "You don't go in the water past here-" he touched the heel of his paw to Yani's mid calf. "Kapeesh?"

Yani bobbed his head up and down and raced to the edge of the water where the cold waves lapped at his bare legs. He laughed and stomped his feet.

" C'mon, Groot!" He said. "C'mon, Ro Ro!"

"No," Rocket said. "I don''t wanna get wet. You go ahead, Kid."

"Ro Ro!" Yani whined. "Ro Ro! C'mon!"

"You little butthole," Rocket said with a sigh, joining the little human and Groot.

\-----------------

"Peter, this is..." Gamora said as she and Peter stood on a cliff's edge to overlook the city.

"Romantic?" Peter guessed, grinning his childish grin.

Gamora smiled too, nodding. They sat down and she leaned her head on her husband's shoulder.

"I never thought in my whole life I'd end up somewhere like this," She said.

"Yeah, this is a hell of a place to book a hotel," Peter said. "I mean, MONTHS in advance."

"No, I don't mean-" Gamora frowned. "You got us a hotel?"

"Surprise." Peter kissed her. "Rocket, Drax, and Groot agreed to take care of Yani and we get the night to ourselves."

He frowned. "Wait. What did you mean?"

"I meant being happy," she said. "Having a family, a husband, a son..."

She shrugged and said, "I think every little girl dreams of this, but it never once crossed my mind."

Peter stroked some of her hair.

"Hey," he said. "I've been thinking."

"Ooh, did it hurt?" Gamora joked. She raised her head and rested her chin on his shoulder instead. "What were you thinking?"

Peter fidgeted slightly.

"Peter, what?" She asked, removing herself.

"Yani's sort of destructive," Peter said. "He's always getting into trouble, you know? We might need to have another one, in case he runs off a cliff or something."

Gamora punched him in the arm and Peter let out a noise between an 'ow' and a laugh.

"I'm kidding," he said. "Well, HALF kidding."

Gamora's brows furrowed.

"I think we should have another baby," he told her.

Gamora's dark eyes stared into his green ones. Her smile disappeared.

"What?" She asked quietly.

"Yani should have someone to play with," Peter said, tugging at his hair nervously. "He needs a friend, a sibling. I..."

His face turned red all the way to his ears.

"You what?" Gamora took his fidgety hand in both of hers.

"I want a little girl," Peter said.

 

 

To Be Continued....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys know what this means!!!!!!! I want to thank all of my readers and the kudos readers and the commenters. I love you guys and love the ideas you've thrown my way and I plan to use a lot of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...thank you everyone who's left kudos and comments and bookmarked. I appreciate all of the feedback. I am also using and open to all kinds of ideas you might have for me as Guardians of the Galaxy fandom is very new to me. Also, please ignore some of the spelling and grammar mistakes as some of them are because I type this on my phone and some of them are on purpose for dialogue reasons. I hope you enjoy!

"Are you sure you're just not peeing right?" Peter asked as Gamora sighed, throwing the light-up pregnancy test into the waste receptacle. She washed her hands and took her toothbrush out of it's holder.

"It has nothing to do with how I pee," she told Peter, sounding annoyed as she squeezed some toothpaste onto her toothbrush.

Peter half-shrugged with a nod and took his own toothbrush. Gamora watched as he began to brush his teeth, but she hesitated. Peter looked at her, toothpaste dripping down his chin.

"Wah iz it?" He asked through a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

"What if Yani really and truly was just an accident?" She asked, moving to put the toilet seat down and sit on it. "What if we can't have another baby?"

Peter finished brushing his teeth and spit and rinsed before drying his mouth with the hem of his t-shirt. He squatted down next to Gamora and stroked some of her hair.

"Then that's okay," he said quietly. "Everything's perfect already. Yani's a great kid and he's special...in more ways than one, but I still love him."

Gamora managed a half smile at that.

"We've been trying for nearly a year now," she said quietly, staring off into space. Her eyes were glossy with tears.

"I just don't think it's going to happen," she told him quietly.

Peter took her hand in his and kissed it. He pulled her up and she moved back to the sink to brush her teeth, listening to Peter collapse onto the bed they shared. She didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but she had been looking forward to another baby on board. Something little to fawn and coo over and tote around. Yani was pushing four years old, and though he was a handful, he wasn't all that cuddly anymore. Not to mention he was bored and lonely a lot. He loved his family, but he had no one to really play with for long periods of time.

"Come to bed, Babe," Peter called. "Come look at this bite on my leg from that weird thing that got me on Vatfur last week. I think it might be infected. It's so gross looking."

Gamora rolled her eyes as she walked back into their room, climbing onto the bed beside him.

"It's fine," she said. "I told you that. Just stop touching it. It is gross. Why did you take the bandage off?"

"It needs to breathe," Peter told her.

"It needs to be covered with the antiseptic I put on it," Gamora retorted.

"Touch it," Peter said, thrusting his leg at her.

"No!" Gamora laughed and slapped his hairy calf, feeling her woes dissipate.

"I think I can pop it," Peter told her. "Pus go everywhere."

Gamora laid down beside him.

"You're disgusting," she said, flipping onto her stomach. Peter kissed the side of her head, lying down too.

She dreamed of a baby girl, little with golden brown curls like Peter's, snug in her arms. She dreamed of Yani holding said baby girl, smiling proudly at his parents as they handed him a bottle to feed her. She dreamed of a little toddler on unsteady legs chasing her big brother around the ship, foam swords in their hands as everyone else ducked and dodged, joining in the game. She dreamed of a little girl climbing into bed beside her, and she could almost smell her soft, powdery scent. 

It was a good thing Peter slept so soundly, because she woke up choking in tears, placing her face in her hands. 

\-----------

"Hand me that ratcheting wrench," Rocket said absent-mindedly, holding out his paw.

Yani, sitting beside him on a swiveling stool on his knees, did as he was told. He knew most of the tools Rocket used, having sat and watched him for so long. He spun around on the stool, half bored, looking around the space raccoon's workshop. 

"When are we gonna land somewhere?" He asked.

"Couple of days," Rocket replied, grunting as he tried to force one small metal item onto another. "Why?"

"I'm tired of being in space," Yani said, sliding off of the stool to climb onto the one Rocket was sitting on. 

"You sure do get bored a lot now," Rocket told him, picking up another tool. "You got plenty to do. Your room's a disaster for one thing. Practically a safety hazard to go in there."

Yani smiled, leaning sideways to press his cheek against Rocket's furry one.

"It's not a hazard," he said. 

"A guy could literally go in there and kill himself," Rocket said in a serious tone. "Trippin' over all them toys and books and clothes."

"No!" Yani laughed.

"Yeah huh," Rocket continued casually. "And those little...whatchu call 'em. Legos? Step on one of those and it's over."

"You're being silly, Ro Ro," Yani told him, pulling away. "And cleaning my room isn't even fun."

He turned around so his back was to Rocket's side and swung his feet thoughtfully. He was wearing sneakers-something his grandpa had picked up at a flea market, along with his Legos. They were both items from his father's home planet, which his father spoke of often but for some reason, they never went there. 

"Are there kids on Earth?" He asked suddenly.

"I'm sure there are," Rocket said. "Hand me that laser level."

Yani picked up the right tool and handed it to him.

"If we went to Earth," he said. "I would find some kids to play with and I think they would have Legos."

"Oh yeah?" Rocket didn't seem very interested. 

Yani picked up a nut (or was it a bolt? He still got those confused) and put it on each of his fingers like a ring. 

"And I bet Earth kids know about Ninja Turtles," he said. 

"Ninja Turtles?" Rocket muttered questioningly, putting on safety goggles. He handed a pair to Yani, who also put them on. 

"And Earth kids probably ride bicycles," he said. "Grandpa got me a bicycle and Daddy said next time we land he's gonna show me how to ride it."

"I just made you a hover board and you wanna ride that old two-wheeled antique?" Rocket asked, stopping in mid-weld to raise his goggles and look at the four year old. 

"I keep falling off of the hover board," Yani said meekly. "And the bicycle looks cool."

Rocket sighed and shook his head. 

"Kid," he said. "I hate to break it to you, but your dad has no interest in goin' back to Earth. I wouldn't count on goin' there any time soon."

Yani frowned and then his eyes lit up.

"Maybe you could take me," he suggested, and sat up straighter. "Me and you and Groot could go. And maybe Drax! We could eat ice cream. Daddy told me about ice cream!"

"I can't go to Earth," Rocket told him. "Apparently things that look like me are hunted and stupid and dig in trash cans."

Yani frowned.

"You're not stupid!" He said. 

"Terrans aren't really a bright bunch, Kid," Rocket told him. "They don't even travel in space yet. They're really primitive and it's just a useless planet that they're already tearin' up. You don't wanna go there."

Yani quietly slipped off of the stool and dragged his feet across the grated floor to the door. Rocket stopped welding and looked at him.

"Yani," he said with a sigh, knowing the boy's feelings were hurt, but Yani left the workshop, shutting the door quietly behind him.

\---------

"Yani!" Peter called, entering the ship. They had docked at a station for the night, which was not interesting and had very little to do so they didn't even bother getting off the ship.

"What?" Yani jogged into the main room, fresh from his bath in his pajamas.

His father had his hands behind his back. He pulled out some sort of big blue ball on a silver stand and spun the ball around. He squatted down in front of his son.

"The station clerk had this on his desk and let me have it," he said. "It's called a globe. It's a model of Earth."

He spun it around and pointed to a a pink and orange bumpy blob.

"This is where I'm from," he said. "Missouri."

Yani smiled, running his fingers across the raised parts. It was beautiful, the globe.

"I like this big blue world," he said, his big dark eyes shining up at Peter's.

Peter kissed his forehead and said in an unusually soft voice, "Then it's yours."

"I can have it?" Yani's smile was contagious and even Drax, working quietly off to the side, smiled. "I can have your pretty blue world?"

Peter nodded and then headed to the kitchenette to see what had been stored away in the fridge from dinner that he had missed because he had been filling out the station paperwork.  

Yani took the globe to his room and moved to sit on his bed, holding it awkwardly in his lap and spun it around and around. He knew how to read English, his father had taught him how, and he read some of the smaller print on the colored pieces against the blue.

" 'China'," he read aloud. " 'India', 'Ing-Land'."

He spun it back to the big pink and orange mass, tracing his finger until he found Missouri. He stared at it for several seconds before spinning it at random to see where his finger would land. 

He did this every night before he went to bed.

\-----------

"Come on, Grandpa!" Yani half whined, standing beside the ship's main exit, backpack on.

Grandpa Yondu was taking him for the week because the Guardians had a mission that would be too dangerous for him. He swayed back and forth impatiently as his grandpa and father chatted away about boring things like money and missions and planets. Nothing Yani cared about. He just wanted to get off this ship.

"I'm comin', Squirt," Yondu said, dismissing the four year old's impatience away with a wave of his hand. "Keep'yer pants on."

Yani rolled his eyes. He wasn't planning on taking his pants off. He just wanted to hurry up and leave.

"See you in a week," Peter told his son, moving to squat down and give him a kiss. "Be good for Grandpa."

Yondu laughed and said, "He's always good'fer me. Saves all that bein' ugly for you and the missus."

He ruffled Yani's hair and said, "C'mon, Boy. Let's get 'er done."

"Bye, Daddy," Yani said, slipping his hand into Yondu's and exiting the ship that was docked on a station to Yondu's smaller ship.

He loved Grandpa Yondu's ship because even though it was smaller, it was less crowded and had more interesting things. He dropped his backpack unceremoniously on the floor and immediately ran to pick up a big knife that was on a table with a beautiful case over the blade.

"Picked that up on Coyobe," his grandpa told him. "It's old too. Almost five hundered years old."

Yani's eyes widened. That was really old!

"There he is!" Kraglin said, coming down the grated stairs from the upper level. "I was wonderin' when he'd get here."

Yani set the knife down and smiled as Kraglin picked him up.

"Kid's gettin' big," Kraglin said.

"Yeah he is," Yondu said. "Yani, yer daddy tells me you been askin' about Earth."

Yani nodded.

"They have Legos on Earth," he said. "And a land called 'Ing-Land'."

Yondu frowned and seemed to be in deep concentration.

"He ever talk about takin' you to Earth?" He asked.

Yani shook his head.

"You know Peter," Kraglin said. "He ain't never gonna take him to Earth."

He nuzzled Yani's hair against his face and said, "But I'll bet he makes it sound real invitin' to the little guy."

"Bless his heart," Yondu said, patting Yani's back. "Don't matter. We're goin' somewhere better than Earth. You wanna go to Xaria? They have a floatin' river."

"Yeah!" Yani bounced excitedly in Kraglin's arms. "I wanna go!"

\--------------

"One day you're going to have to take him," Drax told Peter as he watched Peter spin the globe around in his hands. "It is his heritage."

"It's my heritage, not his," Peter muttered, setting the globe down. "And Yondu has already been on my case about it, alright?"

He collapsed into a nearby chair and sighed. Drax stared at him.

"What are you so afraid of?" He asked.

Peter chewed on a hangnail on his thumb.

"I'm not afraid of anything," he said.

"You are constantly looking for terran treasures, things from your past to give to Yani," Drax told him. "Yet you have no interest in taking him there. You are clearly afraid of something."

Peter stared into space. Drax continued to stare at him. He was not one to drop things and move on. He wanted answers when he thought of his questions.

"There's nothing left for me there," Peter finally said, shifting uncomfortably. "My grandparents may or may not be alive, and even if they are, how do I find them and explain to them what happened to me that night? Why I never came back? My house is probably someone else' now. Things have changed. I mean, people are listening to  Zunes now! Three hundred songs!"

Drax shifted in his chair with a sigh.

"You are afraid it is not the Earth you left behind," he guessed.

Peter nodded slowly. 

"You and Yani can explore the new Earth together," he said. "All of the newness can be his and yours."

Peter stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

"Maybe when he's a little older," he said nervously. "So...how about we...I dunno, find a nearby bar. Grab a drink or something, yeah? Where's Rocket? Yo! Rocket! Let's go find a bar!"

He quickly walked away, leaving Drax to simply shake his head. Terrans.

\----------------

"I think I'm gonna take Yani to Earth," Peter told Gamora the night before Yondu was to return with their son. 

Gamora, straddled on top of him, climbed off and moved to sit beside him on the bed.

"Wait, why'd you stop?" Peter asked. "This was getting good."

"You're going to Earth?" She asked instead of answering his question.

Peter sat up too.

"Do you think I should?" He asked. "I mean, Earthers still don't space travel or anything, but Yani could still see what it's like."

Gamora stared at him.

"Why do people do that when I talk about this?" Peter asked. "Is it really that unbelievable that I would be willing to go back to-"

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Gamora said.

"You do?"

She kissed him, slowly, running her fingers through his hair and when she pulled back, she was smiling. 

"Yes," she said. 

\--------------

"Why isn't Mama going?" Yani asked as Peter tied his sneakers for him. "Why isn't anyone going except me and you?"

"Because this is a trip for us," Peter told him affectionately. "It's a special father-son trip."

Yani frowned, still confused.

"I want Ro Ro and Groot to go," he said. "So they can find some Legos to play with."

Peter smiled at him, unsure of how to explain that Rocket and Groot would not be welcome in a toy store to buy Legos. Yani had grown up in an environment where all kinds of beings walked among each other. He would not be able to fathom the panic that would come from humans towards aliens. The same fear Peter felt the first few days he was abducted by the Ravagers and even after he'd been held down and implanted with a translator. He fingered the back of Yani's translator and wondered if it could pass as a hearing aid. His hair was thick and curly enough that others may not even notice it. 

"Maybe next time," he told his son, scooping him up in his strong arms. "Come on."

\------------

Peter was pouring sweat by the time he'd landed the small rented craft with reflector panels on the Earth's surface. Here they were. Missouri. Yani slept in the little half-dome shaped child seat beside him, drooling slightly. Peter wiped at the drool with the back of his hand. Luckily, Yondu had helped him get some American bills (Peter suspected they might be fake, but hopefully in a small town in Missouri, folks might not notice). 

"Hey, Champ," he said, unfastening Yani's safety belt before setting the reflector panels to an invisible stage. "We're here."

Yani stretched and blinked slowly as his father helped him out of his seat. 

"St. Charles, Missouri," Peter said, more to himself than anything else, holding his son against him. 

He walked the short distance out of the wooded area they landed in and was quickly met with the center of town. It was quiet, of course, being a Tuesday morning. People hardly even glanced at him as they went about their business. He walked them to the nearest inn and was greeted by the face of a friendly young woman. There were humans in space, of course, just not humans from Earth, so Peter was still kind of surprised  to see her.

"Hi," she said warmly. "Checking in?"

"Um, yeah," Peter said. "We're just blowin' through town...need a place to stay."

Yani stared at her shyly, thumb in his mouth. 

"Okay..." the girl typed something on a a screen and asked, "Did you make a reservation online?"

"Online?" Peter repeated, feeling his face heat up. 

"Or are you making one now?" She asked. 

"Um...now," Peter said. 

He filled out a paper, using his old home address and his old phone number that he still remembered by heart. His mother had taught it to him before he started school and had also taught him how to call his grandparents and 911. 

"I just need to see an ID and credit card for incidentals," the clerk said. 

Peter retrieved his fake ID Yondu had also helped him get and said, "I don't have a card on me. Could I use cash?"

The clerk looked sheepish as she said, "The incidental charge is two hundred dollars."

"That's fine." Peter shrugged. "Can I just pay it in cash?"

"Um, sure, I guess," she said. "I'll just put it in an envelope."

She smiled at Yani and said, "He looks just like you."

Peter bounced Yani slightly. 

"Did you hear that?" He joked. "She thinks you're handsome."

The clerk chuckled at his joke and handed him a key card. 

"Breakfast is from six to eight," she told him. "And the wifi password is guestms."

"Wifi password?" Peter's brows furrowed.

"You don't have to use it," she said, misunderstanding his confusion. "We're hot spot accessible too."

Peter managed to smile and nod before hurrying off to their room upstairs. It felt strange to see water flush differently in the toilets and the AC unit was so strange to him he almost didn't know what it was.  Yani stood in the center of the room, looking around.

"Where are the Legos?" He asked. 

\-------------

The town Dairy Queen was gone. Peter was disappointed about that. He had told Yani all about ice cream. They decided to eat lunch at some kind of burger place instead. It hadn't been there when he was a kid. Chili's. He had seen commercials for it as a child, but had never been to one. He was comforted by familiar eighties music as he walked in, carrying Yani, and a friendly hostess led him to a table. There was a strange electronic device on the table. 

"The tablets are for the kids," the hostess explained when Yani grabbed for it and Peter took it away. "And you can order from it too."

She asked him, "Do you have the Chili's app?"

"App?" Peter asked.

The waitress only raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"No," Peter said. 

He ordered some kind of unhealthy cheesy appetizer and when it came to them, he and Yani didn't like it. He loved cheese. Why didn't he like these cheesy potato things? 

"I don't like it," Yani said, taking a big drink of his soda. 

"Me neither," Peter said. "That cheese tastes weird."

Maybe he just wasn't used to Earth cheese anymore. They ordered their food and it tasted....alright...but it was very bland and left a strange taste in their mouths. Peter realized with a sinking feeling that he didn't really like terran food anymore. 

After lunch, he took Yani to a nearby park with a splash pad and stripped him down to his underwear to play in it. Yani squealed and laughed and ran in out of the water jets like any normal terran kid. Peter watched him, smiling. A woman with a little girl not much older than Yani moved to sit beside him on the wooden bench. The little girl was in a sparkly two piece swim suit with a tutu on it. 

"Hey," Peter asked her. "Do you know where I can find a phone book or payphone?" He asked.

The woman smiled at him, but her eyes seemed to say, 'Are you serious?'

"I'm lookin' for somebody," he explained.

The woman pulled out a thick rectangle with a turquoise rubber case and said, "I can look them up for you."

The device seemed to have touch-screen capabilities and asked, "What's their name?"

\-------------

"This is your great-grandpa," Peter said, squatting next to the gravesite. "He took care of me while your grandma was sick."

Yani solemnly squatted down too, thumb in his mouth. His eyes moved over to meet his father's, who was staring intensely at the headstone, blinking furiously. 

"He was a good guy," he told his son in a clotted voice. "like your grandpa."

They walked a little ways to another headstone. This one was bigger, and in the shape of a heart. Peter sat down this time, crossing his legs, and Yani moved to sit in his lap. Peter ran his fingers against the headstone. 

" 'But let me start by saying I love you' ", he murmured as he read the print on the stone. He smiled as he added, "Lionel Richie-'Hello' 1983."

"This is your grandma," he told Yani, furiously wiping at his eyes. 

"Daddy, are you crying?" Yani asked, shifting so he could see him, moving to sit on his leg. 

"I'm fine," Peter said. 

Yani wrapped his little arms around his father's neck and said, "It's okay."

Peter kissed him and said, "Yeah, I know. It's just...Grandma was my mom. She was my mama, and I miss her a lot."

Yani whistled suddenly, clumsily, and tried again. Peter smiled at him.

"What are you doing?" He asked affectionately. 

"Grandpa said angels whistle," Yani said, 'whistling' again. "That's how they talk to each other. I'm talking to Grandma because she's an angel now."

Peter kissed his head and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. 

"Grandpa's right," he said. "She is."

Yani stood up and whistled louder and looked at his father.

"You do it too," he told him. 

Peter nodded and whistled. His was actual whistling, and it made Yani grin. Together, they whistled for several minutes, pausing in between to listen to the silence. 

"I should have brought you here earlier," Peter said as Yani settled back in his father's lap. "I'm sorry I didn't."

"I think Grandma's happy you came back and whistle-talked to her," Yani told him. "Can we go find Legos now?"

Peter stood up, letting out a small laugh, and ruffled Yani's hair. 

"Yeah," he said. "We can go find Legos."

\------------

"Peter!" Gamora said, running out of the bathroom. "It lit up! It lit up!"

"What?" Peter frowned, pulling his shirt on. "Are you serious?"

"I'm pregnant!" Gamora said, laughing. "We're going to have another baby!"

Peter laughed too, taking her face in his hands and kissed her. 

\--------------

Nebula Meredith Quill was born two months early during a freak electrical storm that had Rocket frantically piloting, Peter and Groot panicking, Yani sleeping heavily through it all, and Drax hand-delivering the newest family member on board. They had to make an emergency landing at the nearest station, which wasn't equipped for premature babies and they called an emergency medical ship. 

The little baby, which was a girl, and green (to Peter's delight) was not doing well. 

"What's wrong with her?" Gamora croaked when Drax picked her up from the little basket that once been Yani's. 

"She's not breathing," Drax said, opening the blanket up to reveal an eerily still newborn. 

"What?!" Gamora sat up. 

"The medical ship should be here any second!" The station clerk said. 

"No!" Peter knelt down beside Drax, shaking the little infant. "No, no, no, nonononnonono...!"

"Move!" Rocket said, starting compressions on her chest. "Quill, breathe into her mouth. Cover her nose too!"

Peter did as he was told and after several agonizing seconds, the baby coughed. The medical ship was there then, an entire time ready to take Gamora and the too-early infant away. 

"Can I go with her?" Peter asked.

"There's not enough room," one of the paramedic aliens told him. "Meet us at the Klandike medical center."

\-----------------

"Mr. Quill?" A tall, purple doctor with tentacles pulled back in a ponytail approached Peter and the others in the waiting area. "Gamora and the baby are doing fine. The baby's vitals are good and though she gave us all quite a scare, she pulled through. The CPR you performed saved her life."

Peter looked at Rocket, who looked away almost shyly.

"Can I see her?" Peter asked. "Gamora and the baby?"

"In a bit," the doctor said. "They're monitoring them for a bit longer, but I'll let you know when."

She walked away and Peter looked at Rocket.

"Thank you," he said quietly. 

"Don't thank me," Rocket half groaned. "I did what I had to do."

"And you," Peter looked at Drax. "Thank you both."

He looked at Groot, who was always there for moral support. The plant being was currently holding a sleeping Yani. 

"Thank you," he told him too. "I don't know what I would do without you guys."

"I don't know either," Rocket half joked. "I'm gettin' a cup of coffee. Fallin' asleep over here. You all good? Better be because I ain't gettin' anything for no one 'cept me."

\------------

It was several weeks before the premature Nebula could come home, but when she did, she was so tiny she looked like one of Yani's stuffed creatures. Yondu was quick to turn course and come see her and when he arrived on the ship, Yani ran to him and he scooped him up.

"Hey, Squirt," he said. To everyone else he said, "Where's my gran-baby?"

He set Yani down and took off his coat, tossing it off to the side. "Where she at?"

Peter and Gamora grinned knowingly and Yondu frowned at them.

"What?" He asked.

"You just tossed your coat on her," Peter said, nodding at the jacket. 

"Huh?" Yondu removed the coat to reveal a small dome shaped child seat with a small green infant in int. "That's her?! She's tiny!"

"She's a preemie," Peter said, standing up to remove the infant and pass her to her grandfather. 

"This is a baby?" Yondu joked, cradling her. "Looks like something I'd put up there on my console."

"That's my sister!" Yani announced proudly as Yondu moved to sit in a chair.

"She sure is purdy," Yondu told Yani. "Ain't she?"

"She's squishy looking," Yani said. "And she poops in her diapers."

"You gon' take care of 'er, right?" Yondu asked him, eyebrows raised. "Make sure no one hurts her? Make sure nobody says nothin' ugly to her?"

Yani nodded obediently, moving to sit in Yondu's lap.

"Careful," Peter warned. "He's holding the baby."

"He's fine," Yondu said, pulling Yani against him. 

\--------------

To Be Continued...

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you guys happy? Baby number two! This is probably going to end this story and it will become part of a series. So the next part will most likely be a new stand alone story with Yani and Nebbs a little older (Nebbs probably a toddler) and yes, Nebula (Gamora's sister) will make an appearance. Again, I try and reply to all comments asap so if I don't get to yours right away, just be patient with me. Thanks!


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